Chace Crawford on gay rumours

Actor Chace Crawford, 22, is a former model and one of the leads in much-hyped US teenage soap opera Gossip Girl. He plays wealthy young cad Nate Archibald. Crawfordâs other credits include Loaded, a straight-to-DVD action film, which co-starred Jesse Metcalfe and Vinnie Jones. Gossip Girl can be seen on Thursdays at 10pm on ITV2.

Thatâs an unusual name.

Yes. Iâm OK with it.

Why didnât your parents spell chase properly?

I blame my dad. He wanted all Cs.

Have you been in a love triangle like the one on Gossip Girl?

No, not one where Iâm suddenly cut into a montage of me having sex on a bar stool. Iâve gone from girlfriend to girlfriend in the past but Iâve never been in a seedy love triangle.

The show is aimed at teenage girls. Were you ever mobbed?

Yes. Once we were filming in the Upper East Side in New York as the high schools were finishing. Suddenly, we were surrounded by hundreds of teenage girls. They came out of nowhere. There was a massive doughnut of girls around our trailers. They feel entitled to go insane when theyâre in a big group and they were throwing love letters at us. Hilarious.

Why did you start acting?

I was at college and didnât know what to study. I took a year off. My friend suggested doing commercials because sheâd done some herself. I met her agents and they wanted to work with me straightaway.

Did you finish your degree?

No, I didnât. I got a movie in 2005 and gave acting my shot as soon as I could. I was doing broadcast journalism and marketing at college.

Has anything you learned come in handy later?

I really just did a few communications classes. I know all the theories of layers of personalities and communication skills.

Have you read any good books lately?

Iâm reading The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. I loved his other one, Blink. Iâm also reading Catching The Big Fish by David Lynch.

You were reportedly dating American Idol winner Carrie Underwood. Have you ever voted in a reality show phone poll?

No, Iâm not a big fan of reality shows and I never watched American Idol.

Are you any good at karaoke?

Iâm very good. Iâm great at Guns NâRoses.

Are you worried youâll end up typecast like the actors on Beverly Hills 90210?

No. Gossip Girl isnât massive like 90210, it isnât iconic like 90210 and itâs not going to last a decade. The crossover between TV and film has changed. Actors can do both now â they couldnât 15 years ago.

Whatâs been the worst job youâve ever had?

Working at Abercrombie & Fitch. They play the same three CDs all day long. They play it so loud you canât even talk in the store and they blast the place with cologne, you can smell it from a block away. I was a greeter. I had to stand out front and time would drag on. Iâd beg them to let me work on the cash register.

Did you model for them?

I didnât model for Abercrombie but I did for Hollister, their brother store, when I was in high school. Itâs aimed at younger teenagers, so I didnât have to take my clothes off.

Whatâs the best thing about coming from Texas?

Iâve got a great family and Texas is a very family-orientated place. Itâs great to come from a community like that.

A number of gossip websites have been speculating about your sexuality. How do you deal with that?

Youâve got to laugh it off. You havenât made it unless thereâs been a gay rumour about you. There are so many fabrications. They take your picture with someone and then say youâre having a relationship with them. I let it roll off my back.

So youâre not having a secret gay fling with ex-âN Sync singer JC Chasez?

No, of course not.

Do you have a favourite âN Sync song?

No, I donât.

What was your last dream about?

I scuba dive. Iâve been having dreams Iâm drowning and I wake up gasping for air.